Neither Williston nor Dollo: mandibular complexity from stem tetrapods to modern amphibians

EC Watt, RN Felice, A Goswami - bioRxiv, 2023 - biorxiv.org
Directional trends in evolution have long captured the attention of biologists, and are
particularly interesting when they reflect fundamental developmental processes that underlie …

Early tetrapod cranial evolution is characterized by increased complexity, constraint, and an offset from fin-limb evolution

JRG Rawson, B Esteve-Altava, LB Porro, H Dutel… - Science …, 2022 - science.org
The developmental underpinnings and functional consequences of modifications to the
limbs during the origin of the tetrapod body plan are increasingly well characterized, but less …

Late to the table: diversification of tetrapod mandibular biomechanics lagged behind the evolution of terrestriality

PSL Anderson, M Friedman, M Ruta - 2013 - academic.oup.com
The origin of digit-bearing tetrapods in the Middle to Late Devonian (ca. 393–360 Mya) and
their subsequent invasion of land represent a classic case of a major evolutionary radiation …

Functional constraints on tetrapod feeding ecology were released long after terrestrialisation

W Deakin, P Donoghue, E Rayfield - 2024 - researchsquare.com
The radiation of tetrapods during the Devonian and Carboniferous was associated with a
transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments, with attendant changes in feeding ecology …

The anteriorization of tooth position underlies the atavism of tooth morphology: Insights into the morphogenesis of mammalian molars

T Harano, M Asahara - Evolution, 2022 - academic.oup.com
The evolution and development of complex molars as a key innovation in mammals have
long been of interest yet remain poorly understood. With reference to century-old theories …

Elevated evolutionary rates of biting biomechanics reveal patterns of extraordinary craniodental adaptations in some herbivorous dinosaurs

C Kunz, M Sakamoto - Palaeontology, 2024 - Wiley Online Library
Adaptation to specialist ecological niches is a key innovation that has contributed to the
evolutionary success of many vertebrate clades, underpinning the acquisition of diverse …

Increasing morphological disparity and decreasing optimality for jaw speed and strength during the radiation of jawed vertebrates

WJ Deakin, PSL Anderson, W den Boer, TJ Smith… - Science …, 2022 - science.org
The Siluro-Devonian adaptive radiation of jawed vertebrates, which underpins almost all
living vertebrate biodiversity, is characterized by the evolutionary innovation of the lower …

Morphological and biomechanical disparity of crocodile-line archosaurs following the end-Triassic extinction

TL Stubbs, SE Pierce, EJ Rayfield… - Proceedings of the …, 2013 - royalsocietypublishing.org
Mesozoic crurotarsans exhibited diverse morphologies and feeding modes, representing
considerable ecological diversity, yet macroevolutionary patterns remain unexplored. Here …

Multiple evolutionary origins and losses of tooth complexity in squamates

F Lafuma, IJ Corfe, J Clavel, N Di-Poï - Nature Communications, 2021 - nature.com
Teeth act as tools for acquiring and processing food, thus holding a prominent role in
vertebrate evolution. In mammals, dental-dietary adaptations rely on tooth complexity …

Convergence on dental simplification in the evolution of whales

CM Peredo, JS Peredo, ND Pyenson - Paleobiology, 2018 - cambridge.org
The fossil record of mammal dentition provides crucial insight into key ecological and
functional transitions throughout mammalian evolutionary history. For cetaceans, both extant …